Best supermarket sauerkraut, tasted and rated

When eaten raw, sauerkraut is a sour, umami-rich and complex condiment and one of the simplest, most nourishing whole foods. It’s made by fermenting cabbage and other vegetables with spices and salt; the standard salt-to-cabbage ratio is 2% by weight, though a little either way is neither good nor bad.

To stabilise the product some sauerkrauts are heat-treated or pasteurised, which helps shelf-life but kills the beneficial bacteria. I tasted a range from the most economical pasteurised varieties to pricey mail-order products to find the standouts. Best overall: Loving Foods organic sauerkraut with caraway and juniper (£6.99 for 475g, £1.47/100g) — Bright white with a sour, complex aroma.

It’s crunchy and bounding with intense flavour, plump fermented caraway seeds and whole juniper berries popping all over the place. Raw and alive with fermentation, made with just 1% Celtic sea salt. ★★★★★ Best bargain: Hurly Burly original organic raw sauerkraut (£2 for 300g, 67p/100g) — A small jar of funky, savoury-scented raw kraut.